Fire alarms



1N VEN TOR. W

R. K. YOUTIE FIRE ALARMS Filed Feb. 27, 1956 July s, 1958 United StatesPatent FIRE ALARMS Robert K. Youtie, Haddonfield, N. J. fApplicationFebruary 27, 1956, Serial No. 567,938

3 Claims. (Cl. 116--106) This invention relates generally to heatresponsive signals, such as fire alarms, of the type adapted to beoperated by pressurized fluid actuating. sound producing means.

A particular embodiment of the present invention, which is illustratedin the drawings and which will be described hereinafter in greaterdetail, comprises generally a vessel for containing pressurized fluid,fluid actuable sound producing means connected to the vessel foractuation by fluid from the vessel, and closure means normallypreventing actuation of the sound producing means bythe pressurizedfluid and responsive to excessive temperature to permit such actuationof the sound producing means.

While there are many such fire alarms in the prior art and on themarket, all of these devices are constructed with the closure meansahead of the sound producing means, i. e., between the sound producingmeans and the pressurized fluid supply. In this arrangement cornpleteremoval of the closure means requires passage of the latter through andout of the sound producing means; or,

some provision must be made to receive the closure means 7 out of thepath of actuating fluid soas not to obstruct the fluid flow. The throughpassage or complete expulsion of the closure means is not alwaysfeasible or reliable.

in practice, so that the closure means often remains in the system afterhaving been released from its closing relation in response to excessivetemperature, and serves to obstruct, reduce, or entirelyprevent thedesired flow" of fluid necessary to actuate the sound producing means.Removal of the closure means other than by passage through the soundproducing means usually requires a relatively complex construction andinvolves increased.

costs.

Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to providea heat responsive signal or fire alarm of the type described whichovercomes the above mentioned difficulties, which is simple, and durablein con struction, and reliable in use, and which can be economicallymanufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

It is a more particular object of the present invention to produce afire alarm having the advantageous charreferring to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which thescope will be indicated by the appended claims.

2,842,088 Patented July 8, 1958 In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top perspective view showing a thermal responsive signalor fire alarm constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational view, partly in section, taken substantiallyalong the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along theline 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a partial, sectional elevational view show-; present inven-,

ing a slightly modified construction of the tion; and

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substan tially along theline 5-.5 of Figure 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and

specifically to Figures 1-3 thereof, the embodiment of the inventionillustrated therein comprises a vessel or container, generallydesignated 10, anda sound producing device or whistle 11 connected tothe vessel.

The vessel 10 may be of generally cylindrical configurai tion, includinga lower end closure or bottom wall 13, an upstanding generallycylindrical side wall 14 having its lower end extending peripherallyabout and secured to the bottom wall, and having its upper portionturned in wards, as at 15, to define an upper end or top wall for thecontainer. The container top wall 15 is provided with a central,annular, upstanding lip or flange 16 which circumscribes a throughopening formed in the container. top wall. In practice, it has beenfound satisfactory toemploy containers of the pressure-resistant typecommon-.

ly used in aerosol devices.

The sound producing device or whistle 11 is mounted 1 within the topwall flange 16, serving to close the top wall opening, and includes agenerally cylindrical cup shaped member or inner cap 1 9, and an outercup shaped member or cap 20 received partially within the inner cap. Theinner cup shaped member 19 is formed with a flat, generally horizontallydisposed bottom wall 21, and a. generally. cylindrical upstandingsidewall 22 extending about the periphery of the bottom wall and having itsupper peripheral edge portion 23 bent or curled outwards and downwardsto define a lip, engaging over the annular top wall lip 16. A suitablesealing compound (not shown) is interposed between the top wall flange16 and out; turned edge portion or lip 23 of the inner cap; and, thecylindrical side wall 22 is crimped or deformed outwards,

provided a conduit 28 which extends along the cup memt ber side wall 22communicating atone end through the 0 port 27 with the upper interiorregion or head space of the vessel 10, and opening at its other end 29interiorly of and substantially tangential to the cylindrical innercupside wall 22. Thus, the conduit 28 communicates peripheral side wall33 crimped or deformed outwards into the deformation 24 of the inner cupmember side wall 22 and having its upper peripheral edge portion or lip34 turned or bentoutwards over the edge portion 23 and lip 16. Asuitable sealing compound (not shown) is preferably interposed betweenthe bent edge portions 23 space'3l) between the inner and outer cupmember bottom walls.

"Secured in closingrelation within the upper orouter end portion of theconduit or tube 35 is a closure member or plug 36. The closure member ofplug 36 may be formed, of any desired material and secured inclosing'relation within'the conduit 35 by heat fusible material; suchassolder or the like, at 37. If desired, the

, plug may also be fabricated of solder or other fusible material.

, Beforeassembling'the inner and outer cup members 19-and of the soundproducing device or whistle 11 with the vessel 10, the vessel is filledwith a suitable fluid 40 under pressure, such as carbon dioxide, nitrousoxide ora fluorinated hydrocarbon, the latter being readily capable ofpartial liquification. The inner and outer cup members 19 and 20 arethen secured in place and combine to define with the vessel 10 apressure resistant sealed enclosure.

With the device of Figures 1 and 2 in its pressurized but inactive orquiescent state, the inner cup side wall port 27 opens into the headspace of the vessel 10 so that the gaseous phase of the partiallyliquified contents 40 are communicable through the conduit 28 with theinterior'of the cylindrical chamber 30 defined between the inner cupmember side and bottom walls 21 and 22 and the outer cup member bottomwall 20, and are further communicable with the interior of the conduitto exert pressure upon the closure member or plug 36. When the ambientatmosphere" attains a predetermined temperature sufficient to fuse theplug securing material 37, the fluid pressure interiorly of the soundproducing means 11 will expel the plug out of and away from'the conduit35. Thus, the gaseous phase of the propellant 40 i's'free to pass atsubstantial velocity from the vessel 10 through the conduit 28, enteringthe interior of the cylindrical whistle chamber 30 tangentially thereof,from which it flows outward through the conduit 35 to the ambientatmosphere. The conduit 28 thus defines an inlet for directing thepropellant gas tangentially into the cylindrical chamber 30 so that thegas forms a vortex therein. Also, the conduit 35, disposed axially ofthe cylindrical chamber,- defines the only outlet for the fluid of thevortex, so that an exiting vortex of substantially reduced radius, andhence of substantially increased velocity is formed in the outletconduit 35. As this exiting vortex emerges from the open end of theoutlet conduit 35 a shrill whistle is produced.

Upon egress of gaseous state propellant from the head space of thevessel 10, liquid phase propellant becomes gaseous and provides acontinuous fluid flow through the whistle for a substantial period oftime.

A slightly modified form of the present invention is shown-in Figures 4and 5, wherein 10' designates a vessel corresponding to the vessel 10,having a top wall 15' formed with an upstanding annular lip or flange 16circumscribing a top wall opening. A cup shaped member or cap 42 iscrimped or deformed into sealing engagement within the top wall opening;and, a sound producing device or whistle 11' communicable between theinterior and exterior of the vessel 10" is carried in the cap 42.

The Whistle 11' includes an upstanding, generally vertically disposedfluid inlet or tubular conduit 43-secured in the cap 42 and having itslower end opening downwards into the gas filled headspace interiorly ofthe vessel. 10'. On the outer end of the conduit 43 and communicatingtherewith is formed a resonant chamber 44 having a generally rectangularoutlet opening 45. The

p a manner similar to that "illustrated and described in connection withFigure 2.

The plug 46 thus closes and seals the space defined within the vessel.10 and whistle 11 and retains pressurized fluid in the space. Thechamfered upper and lower edges of the fluid outlet 45 aid the plug 46in resisting the fluid pressure.

Upon elevation of ambient temperature to a predetermined degree, theclosure member or plug 46 will fuse, or its securing material will fuse,and the closure member will be expelled out of the opening away from thewhistle 11' by the fluid contained under pressure. The fluid will thenbe free to flow without obstruction from the vessel 10' upwards throughthe inlet conduit 43 and out through the outlet opening 45, whereuponthe whistle is actuated to produce a warning sound.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides aheat responsive signal or fire alarm which fully accomplishes itsintended objects, and which is well adapted to meet practical conditionsof manufactureand use.

Although the present invention has been described in certain changes andmodifications may be made within thespirit of the invention and scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. A heat responsive alarm comprising a vesseladapted to contain fluid under pressure, fiuid actuable sound producingmeans having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet,

' said sound producing means being connected to said vessel with saidfluid inlet communicating with the interior of said vessel for receivingsaid fluid and said fluid outlet communicating with the exterior of saidvessel for passing said fluid through and actuating said sound"producing means, and closure means located within said fluid outlet andthere secured by heat fusible material in closing relation with respectto said fluid outlet to retain said fluid against the pressure thereofwithin said vessel and sound producing means, whereby the application'of heat sufiicient to fuse said fusible material re leases said closuremeans for expulsion of the latter exteriorly of said vessel and soundproducing means by the force of said fluid so that the fluid passesthrough and actuates said sound producing means without obstruction.

2. A' heat responsive alarm according to claim 1, said sound producingmeans comprising a generally cylindrical chamber, an inlet conduitdefining said fluid inlet and communicating between the interior of saidvessel and the interior of said cylindrical chamber, said inlet conduitbeing arranged to open substantially tangentially into said cylindricalchamber, and a tubular outlet conduit defining said fluid outlet andcommunicable between the interior of said cylindrical chamber and theambient atmosphere, said outlet conduit extending from one end of saidcylindrical chamber coaxially therewith.

3. In an alarm construction, a fluid actuable sound producing devicecomprising a generally cylindrical chamber, a fluid inlet conduitadapted for connection to a source of fluid supply and communicatingwith the interior of saidchamber. opening into the latter substantiallytangentially thereof to produce vortex flow of fluid in said-chamber,and an elongate fluid outlet conduit having aninternal surface which isentirely smooth and of circular cross sectional configuration throughoutits lengtln.

said outlet conduit being of an internal diameter consideralaly lessthan that of said chamber, said outlet conduit being arranged coaxiallyof said chamber having one end fixedly secured to and opening inwardthrough one end of said chamber for receiving a highly acceleratedvortex flow of fluid from said chamber, the other end of said outletconduit providing a discharge outlet for said highly accelerated vortexflow of fluid to produce sound.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSSumarek Mar. 8, 1955 Bloom Jan. 3, 1956 Bigelow Aug. 14, 1956 JacobyJan. 22., 1957 Baer July 9, 1957

